New Testament Pattern Of Christianity?

by Van Robison

Many folks in the house church movement sincerely believe that when Christians have meetings in private homes or in outdoor spaces, they are following the "correct" New Testament "pattern" of being the church. Even when people exit institutional churchianity, it seems very difficult to take churchianity out of the people. I would like to suggest that there is really only one true "Pattern" to life, and that is simply Jesus Christ and His teachings, and that is because Jesus Christ is the Living Waters of Life. Jesus taught that life itself should be lived by walking in love, mercy, justice, compassion, empathy, faith in God and those principles which He taught that are a reflection of the heart of the Father. Jesus said nothing other than what He heard from the Father, and He did nothing other than what He saw the Father do. Jesus said, "I and my Father are ONE" and, "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father" (John 14:9-10; John 10:30). Jesus Christ was the perfect image of the Father.

Fellowship is wonderful and a natural part of human life, and Jesus stated that "where two or three are gathered in my name, there AM I in the midst." I have no doubt that Christ did not intend that fellowship to ever become a "pattern" or ritual that can quickly become legalistic, self-righteousness, or works of the flesh. At one time there was a "movement" called the "Shepherding Movement" or "Discipleship Movement", and although the intentions may have been honorable, as with all man-made religious ideas, it was destined to cause many problems and consequent spiritual abuse. Many in the current house church movement also tend to think in terms of "accountability", by plucking certain scriptures out of the New Testament and trying to live their lives in "accountability mode." Jesus taught that He (and no one else) is the Vine and all of us are the branches (John 15). We abide in Jesus Christ and of ourselves we can do nothing. No one who belongs to Jesus Christ is "independent", and apart from Christ, there is no spiritual fruit (John 15:5). We are accountable to Jesus Christ, who is the one and only Judge who will determine whether we will have eternal life or not (John 5:19-30).

Basically, many of the beliefs that Christians live with stem from the teachings of Paul rather than from the teachings of Jesus Christ. On my part, I think it is astonishing that Christians live with the belief that Paul was infallible and inerrant in all that he taught. I can only see Jesus Christ/God Almighty as being infallible and inerrant, unlike anyone else who ever lived. Christian belief is supposedly based upon the man-made idea that the Bible itself is infallible and inerrant, and yet in the four Gospels, Jesus Christ never said anything about a man named Paul or the writings of anyone, other than references to certain portions of Old Testament scriptures. That may rock the comfort zone of many who are indoctrinated with Bible infallibility, but if anyone is totally honest about what Jesus Christ taught, then you will not find that Jesus said, "the Bible is infallible and inerrant"; and it is that belief from which Christians take their belief system.

I don't discount Paul and what he taught, but I do question whether some of his writings have been tampered with, and whether as Christians, we really understand the context in which he wrote. In 1 Corinthians Chapter 1, Paul even says of himself that he was not crucified for Christians and yet many Christians exalt Paul to the high heavens, even casting the teachings of Jesus Christ below those of Paul. Paul had only one purpose, and that was to teach "Christ crucified" and to point people to Jesus. There are many teachings in the writings of Paul, that are not found in what Jesus Christ taught as recorded in the four Gospels and that is why I question some of Paul's supposed writings. Christians today seem to think that if some of the early Christians had fellowship on the first day of the week, then that is a "pattern" to be followed by all Christians throughout all eternity. I would differ and say that if two or three happen to want to fellowship on the second, third, fourth, fifth or any day of the week, night or day, then that is perfectly okay. There seems to be the idea that if the early Christians had gone bowling on the first day of the week, then Christians today should go bowling on the first day of the week, because that is the "New Testament pattern" to being a true Christian. Do we imitate what others did, or do we imitate Jesus Christ?

There is really great flexibility and differences in individual personality and expressions of life and living, within the context of the teachings of Jesus Christ. No doubt Jesus never intended to box His followers into any form of legalistic rituals, including compulsory and canned fellowship. On my part, following Jesus Christ and becoming one with Christ is the purpose of why we were created, and in following Jesus, it is all about the character of God, and not formalities of any kind. Very simply the whole of everything Jesus Christ taught and expressed can be summed up in one word--LOVE. Jesus came to set the captives free (Luke 4:18) and even Christians bind each other with man-made captivity of the mind and spirit.

Is there really a New Testament "pattern" to "being the church?" If there is--then Jesus Christ is the only Pattern there is. Did not Jesus say to the uneducated fishermen--FOLLOW ME? For many, it is not Jesus Christ they follow, it is a man named Paul.